THE MAN CAVE

The Millennial Dating Trend: I'm Ready to Manscape and Chill

If you think about it long enough, dating is weird. We tend to act very differently from our normal selves in order to go through an odd set of traditions. It all tends to be awkward and uncomfortable. If we’re lucky, we come out the other side attached to someone fun and interesting, but even for the best among us there will be plenty of disappointments. In the last few years, the younger generations have made some changes to that whole situation, but it’s still far from perfect. While we can’t revolutionize all of dating in a single blog, we’re going to offer you a new tool that might help when the occasion arises.

Dating in the Past

If you watch any 80s movie, you’ll see a dating world that looks completely different from what is practiced today. Almost every time a couple meets, it’s at a bar, club, or other major social gathering. Everyone is always dressing up, alcohol is flowing, and the entire process is rowdy and raucous. That’s not just a testament to the Hollywood stylings of that ancient decade. Years ago, dating really was a different animal.

While Netflix and chill might be the standard today, in the past it was all about leaving the house. Couples would look for ways to spend money and live large — often paying for things they could do for free. Dinner and a movie is a classic example. Dining in and watching a video is cheaper, but previous generations pushed this idea of lavishness and extravagance to the point that it was just plain expected. It’s amazing how things have changed.

The Internet Strikes Again

It’s easy to make fun of Boomers and Gen Xers, but their weird mating habits aren’t entirely their own fault. One of the biggest reasons they were always going out is because they had little other choice. Without the internet, it was literally impossible to meet people except face to face. These days, most of us date people we find via social media or an app, but even 10 years ago that wasn’t so normal. The internet took the effort out of meeting people. It was inevitable for dating trends to shift.

But, that’s not the only factor. Most millennials started dating right in the middle of the biggest economic recession the industrialized world has ever seen. That sounds dramatic, but it changed an entire generation’s outlook. Who is going to pay $10 or more for a tiny bag of popcorn when rent is due? The millennials (and now Gen Z) were forced to adapt to the times. Netflix and chill arose as a dating standard because it’s cheaper. If you can find people easily, why not get started with a more intimate and affordable setting? It’s easier to get to know the person. It also has a better chance of ending the night with that thing we all want to do: manscaping.

Manscape and Chill

Netflix and chill easily evolved into an entire genre of dating. We do just about anything and chill. There are no requirements, but if it’s low stress and at least a little fun, that’s a good start. So, does manscape and chill mean we’re going to invite a first date to shave our back before things get sexy? Well, no. If you can pull that off, you’re a god, and you should post your story in the comments. Also, we won’t believe you — even with video proof. Addendum: please don’t post videos. That’s a good way to get the FBI on all of our cases.

Manscape and chill is actually an homage to older dating rituals without completely abandoning modern trends. You’re still going to do whatever version of Netflix and chill is up for the night, but you’re going to put in some effort for a change. Millennials and Gen Zers have brought some amazing innovations to the world, but they share a similar fatal flaw. They’re all plagued by social laziness. It’s ok to try a little now and then.

Manscape and chill is simple. You want to get dressed up for your date. If you show up in a monkey suit, you might ruin the casual feel of the evening. But, if you show up groomed to your best, you’re still “dressed up” while wearing the appropriate attire. If things go the way they’re supposed, your effort will be noticed before the night’s end, and it can improve things considerably.

Applied Manscaping

If you’re going to give this a try, you should do it right. Manscape and chill is about visible effort, so a two-second trim and a quick shower is not going to send the right message. You’re going to take everything you know about manscaping and apply it to the fullest. You’re going to transform your body into that wonderland that made John Mayer so famous. Ok, that was a bad example, but you get the point.

Trim Aggressively

The Lawn Mower 2.0 is not for hack jobs. It’s precision equipment that is designed to work on your entire body. When you go into your preparation for manscape and chill, you’re going to use this thing everywhere. Scratch that. You’re going to use it everywhere below you neck. You should have something dedicated to your face. It’s a hygiene thing.

Obviously, you need to maintain the hedges. You definitely want to keep things clean below the belt, but you don’t want to skip things along the way. Your back, pits, chest and belly all potentially needs some attention during your trimming session. This is why it’s tough to do in the shower. You’ll probably need that big mirror in your bathroom to do the job right. If you’re worried about a mess, just throw down a Magic Mat. Problem solved.

Shave With Discretion

When you’re done with the trimming, you’re going to reach for The Plow. Stop and think before you do this. Body shaving has plenty of merit, but you want to be smart about it. If your big plan for Manscape and chill night is to show up looking like a hairless ferret, you need to go back to the drawing board. You also need to consider how your skin handles a razor. Being red and bumpy is sexy to an extraordinarily small number of people. Only shave where you know you can handle it. If that happens to include your balls, though, that’s a good thing. Smooth balls are great for Manscape and chill. The same can be said of your ass.

Shower Like You Mean It

The grooming is what your date will notice the most, but it’s not the most important part of your manscaping. That honor falls to skin care. Your grooming should be followed with a shower. We’re not talking about a quick dip in the water before you get dressed. You want to treat the skin you just abused with cutting devices like you care. You want a warm (not hot) shower. You’re going to gently exfoliate your whole body with Crop Cleanser. It has a formula that will soften the skin, minimize redness and have you ready to be caressed all night long.

Smell the Part

They say you should dress for the job you want. The same can be said of how you smell. If you want someone’s mouth on or near your good parts, they should smell enticing. For that, you have very little work to do. Just follow your shower with a little Crop Preserver and Crop Reviver. The two-punch combo will have you smelling delightful. You might struggle to make it halfway through a movie before things get interesting.

That should be enough to get you going. When your date deserves a special night on the town — but is still a millennial at heart — you can treat them with a manscape and chill evening. If you feel like you need more advice on some of the specific aspects of manscaping, you can find it all at Manscaped.com. Until next time, we hope you guys are getting lucky out there.